1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to portable organizers of the type utilized to retain various papers and documents as well as writing instruments and which also functions to provide a writing surface in the form of a clipboard. The invention is more specifically directed to portable clipboard organizers having at least one tray defining a compartment in which various articles may be stored and which is selectively covered by a lid having a clamping mechanism secured thereto for purposes of forming a clipboard writing surface.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Portable clipboard organizers are well known and are used frequently by those in professions wherein various documentation must be immediately accessible and wherein writing surfaces are not generally available. Police officers, fire fighters, courier and other delivery personnel, security guards, plant engineers and others frequently use clipboards having storage compartments in which papers which must be relied upon during the course of employment are stored. The organizers are usually carried and, when documentation is necessary, documents or other papers can be removed from the storage compartment and placed on a clipboard surface where the papers can be positively engaged by a clip or clamp assembly. Once documents have been signed or information placed on the documents, the documents can be removed from the clipboard surface and placed for safe storage within the storage compartment.
A number of conventional portable clipboard and storage organizers provide one or more storage trays to which a clipboard member is pivotally secured generally along an upper edge of an uppermost of the trays. The clipboard functions as a lid for closing the underlying storing compartments. Within some organizers, a latch is provided for securing the clipboard or lid member in overlying relationship with respect to the storage compartment(s) which clip is normally provided along the base or bottom of the organizer. Such conventional clipboard organizers are somewhat awkward to handle because of pivot assemblies are provided at an upper portion of the organizers. To gain access to papers in the organizers, the organizers must be opened and, if documents are placed on the clipboard, the documents are pivoted away from the individuals utilizing the organizers.
An additional drawback with conventional clipboard organizers is that the clamp assemblies utilized to secure papers on the surface of the clipboards or lids are spring loaded requiring some effort to be exerted to open the clamps to place or remove papers from the clipboard surfaces.
In addition to the forgoing, there is a need to provide portable clipboard organizers which provide increased utility for supporting more than one document from the surface of the organizers such that individuals can review a plurality of documents at the same time and yet have documents secured so that they need not be manually held. By way of an example, a police officer may wish to support a person's permit or driver's license at the same time the officer notes information on documents, such as citations or tickets.
Some examples of prior art clipboard organizers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,296 to Ratcliff; U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,744 to Dewitt; U.S. Pat. No. 2,417,879 to Merritt; U.S. Pat. No. 3,215,452 to Goodwin; U.S. Design Pat. Des No. 317,788 to Dewitt; and U.S. Design Pat. Des No. 322,891 to Samuelson et al.